BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) The Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals is beginning a grievance process because Fletcher Allen Health Care terminated contacts for 35 per diem nurses over the phone.

President of the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals Mari Cordes says they "are not happy about it, in particular how it was handled."

Cordes tells the Burlington Free Press (http://bfpne.ws/1fHSi7M) that nurses received the terminations by phone on personal numbers and without union representatives with them.

Fletcher Allen Spokesman Mike Noble said the nurses who were terminated did not work the required minimum 288 annual hours and that "seven of the 35 didn't work at all."

Cordes says there is disagreement about total hours and the phone termination process and that the nurses' union is looking into the details.